Century against UAE in the World Cup qualifiers puts Chris Gayle in an exclusive club

Sport360 staff 14:05 08/03/2018
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  • Gayle has now registered ODI tons against 11 different countries.

    As the West Indies beat the UAE by 60 runs in their ICC 2019 World Cup qualifier in Harare on Wednesday, there was an even greater reason to smile for Chris Gayle.

    The swashbuckling left-hander had blasted his way to a 91-ball 123, clubbing a staggering 11 sixes and seven boundaries during his entertaining stay at the Zimbabwean city.

    The century was Gayle’s 23rd of his ODI career but it was whom it came against that made it all the more special for the Caribbean star.

    Wednesday’s ton means that the 38-year-old has now scored a one-day century against 11 different countries, making him only the third batsman in history to do so.

    Only two other batsmen in the game have achieved this rare feat – India’s Sachin Tendulkar and South Africa’s Hashim Amla.

    Out of the 11 other full ICC members (including Afghanistan and Ireland), Gayle has scored a ton against all but three sides. They are Australia, Afghanistan and Ireland.

    Apart from them, he has also registered centuries against Kenya, Canada and now the UAE.

    In comparison, Tendulkar’s 49 ODI tons came against 11 different opposition. Among the full ICC members, the only countries he has not scored a century against are the two latest entrants – Afghanistan and Ireland. Apart from the full members, he has also registered hundreds against the likes of Namibia and Kenya.

    On the other hand, Afghanistan is the only full member against whom Amla has not scored an ODI hundred. He has a ton against Netherlands which completes his list of 11 countries.

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